Drapery with detachable suspension devices



Nov. 17,. 1931. c. w. KIRSCH DRAPERY WITH DETACHABLE SUSPENSION DEVICES Filed April 15, 1927 ornel Patented Nov. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE CHARLES W. KIRSCII, OF STURGIS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNmTB, 'I'O KIRSCII COMPANY, OF STURG-IS, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN DBAI'EBY WITH DETACHAJBLE SUSPENSION DEVICEG Application filed April 15,

This invention relates to improvements in curtains, draperies and other hangings and has for its main object to provide means, including removable metallic devices for effecting suspension thereof from supporting fixtures.

Heretofore, so far as I am informed, it has been customary to permanently attach to curtains, draperies or the like, hooks or equivalent devices by means of which the upper edge portions of said hangings have been detachably secured to the rings or other parts of supporting fixtures such as curtain rods or poles. When detaching such hangings for laundering or other cleansin it has been necessary to remove these meta lic elements and re-attach the same. This is a ver laborious operation requiring considera 1e skill in the matter of proper spacing g and positioning of these hooks or the like and not infrequently necessitates removal of the hangings to a shop for replacement of said devices. This is expensive for the owner.

My present invention is designed to supply means adapted to fully meet the requirements of both manufacturer and consumer and consists in the provision of two specific types of metallic devices and a fabric, preferably of a special and specific type hereinafter particularly described, which render easy for the maker to elfect detachable association of the suspension devices with the hangings and easy detachment and replacing of said devices by the user. Thus, in its specific aspects, the invention includes a specific ty e of textile fabric as will hereinafter more ully appear.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated suitable embodiments of the invention, and therein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of a curtain or drapery equipped with a device constructed in accordance with the invention for detachably securing a suspension device to'said curtain or drapery. I

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of a special type of tape adapted to the needs of the invention.

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary sectional views showing various embodiments of the invention.

1927. Serial No. 184,068.

In practice, curtains, draperies and the like are equipped with suspension means of two types, one thereof being such that the upper edge of the curtain or drapery is disposed below the supporting elements, such as the rings or slides of the curtain rod or pole, so that the latter and said rings or slides are at all times visible, and the other thereof being such that the upper edge of the curtain or drapery is disposed above the elevation of the highest point or points on the rod or pole and the supporting devices or slides thereof, so that the said supporting devices are at all times invisible from points inwardly of the room and the rod or pole is visible only when the drapes of a pair are spaced apart. The last-mentioned mode of suspension is to obtain what is technically known as the French heading effect.

The invention consists primarily in' securing to the face of the curtain or drapery 1 which is opposed to the window frame or the like, strips 2 of a suitable textile fabric b means of lines of stitching 3 passing through the side edge portions of the strips 2, and lines of stitching 4, extendin transversely of the stitching 3, adjacent 51c upper and lower ends of the said strips 2, said lastnamed end portions being preferably folded before stitching so that the extreme end portions of said strips lie between the ex osed portions and the curtains or drapes. ThlS not only provides greater strength but also prevents raveling of said ends. Obviously the side edge portions of said stri s may be similarl folded under, if desired or necessary. efore attachment to the curtain or drape, each strip is provided with a longitudinal slot or slit 5, which may be conveniently termed a button-hole, the location of which, with respect to upper ed of the curtain or drapery, is determin by the particular type of suspension device which is to be employed, and to the articular kind of 1supporting device provide on the rod or po e.

These suspension devices consist, each, of a book 6 the shank portion 7 of which is bent or folded between its ends to provide a tongue 8 for supporting the upper edge portion of 100 the curtain of drapery, the upper end portion I of said tongue being shaped to provide a support for the said upper edge portion of the drapery so as to support the upper edge portion of the drapery at desired different elevations with respect to the rod or pole.

The tongue is inserted through the slit, slot or button-hole 5 the latter :being so located with respect to the fold or transverse line of videdtherefor between the strip 2 and curtain or drape 1, the upper end of the opening 5 will be disposed preferably slightly above the bend 11 in the suspension device so that the curtain or drapery will be entirely supported by the extreme ends of the series of suspension devices with which it is equipped. This serves to relieve the upper end wall of the opening 5 of load but, obviously, this specific arrangement may be varied without departing from the invention.

The above-described combination of fabric strips and metallic suspension devices permits of easy removal and replacement of the latter to adapt the hangings for easy laundering and other cleansing and presents the further advantage of providing means capable of sewing machine attachment, as opposed to "hand-stitching, of suspension means to the hangings. The invention thus provides labor saving means not only initially but throughout the life of the hangings.

As the metallic suspension devices are manufactured in what are known as stand-' ard sizes with respect to length of the tongues 8, it is preferable for convenience of shops and users to provide fabric strips of standard dimensions with, respect to both length, location of the openings 5, and with respect to other features and to this end the invention also comprehends a special textile tape or ribbon, such as is shown in Fig. 2,

which possesses the requisite strength and is of such width and presents such other characteristics as to best adapt it to the needs of the trade and public for the purposes afore: said.

The tape or ribbon 12 of Fig. 2 is made,

' preferably, of very coarse thread or fine yarn [of suitable material, the woof of said fabric being, preferably, irregularly spaced at intervals indicated at the points D, C, E, B and A, respectively, at which points the tape is adapted, selectively, to either be cut or folded, it being obvious, of course, that these points may be otherwise indicated than by after completion of the tape or ribbon by button-holding machines but this method is more expensive and, therefore, less desirable.

It will be noted that between each two of said openings 5, there is one woofless point or portion E and two woofless points or portions A-B or D-C. It will also be noted that the openings 5 are'disposed nearer adjacent the portions E than the portions or points A-B or D-C.

In practice, if the French heading effect is desired, the tape will be cut at the points 0 and A, respectively, and folded at the points B and E, respectively and will be secured to the curtain or drapery so that the fold C is disposed substantially flush with the upper edge of said hanging.

If the French heading effect is not desired, then the tape or ribbon is similarly cut and folded but secured to the curtain or drape so that the fold E is at the top, the opening 5 being then disposed nearer the top of the drape to receive the tongue 8 of the suspension device.

The invention, insofar as it comprehends special tape or ribbon, includes any satisfactory type of tape suitably marked to indicate points for cutting and folding and having suitable openings 5 therein located or spaced relatively to said cutting and folding points substantially as above described.

In Figs. 3 and 4, I have shown a C-shaped type of rod 13 equipped with slides 14 and 25, respectively, so engaged with the walls thereof bordering the longitudinal slots therein as to maintain said slides in fixed position relatively to the rods without, however, interfering with their movement longitudinally of said rod. The slides 14 of Fig. 3 are provided, each with two arms 16 and 17, respectively, one of which extends over the bottom of the rod, their free ends project ing beyond the front wall of the latter and being provided with perforations to receive the nose portion of the hook 18 of the suspension member, which is substantially S-shaped and includes the tongue 8 which engages in the fabric pocket of the tape 2. These arms 16 and 17 are spaced from the rod or from the curtain pole in the groove of which the rod is mounted as is fully shown and described in my pending applications for patent Serial No. 162,991, filed January 24,- 1927 and in United States Letters Patent No.

1,662,928, dated March 20, 1928, and No. I

1,756,665, dated April 29, 1930.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated the type of ourtam pole 24 shown and described in the aforesaid co-pending applications wherein the slides 25 are provided with arms 26 and 27 arvaried in construction to adapt them to varying positions of curtainpoles and to the specific type of suspension device desired to be employed.

I claim as my invention Drapery suspension means including strips of pocket forming tape secured at the top, bottom and side edges to the drapery adjacent the upper edge of the latter and extending longitudinally'of said drapery, there being a longitudinal slot in .said tape between its ends, and drapery suspension hooks, each having an upwardly extending arm of greater length than the distance between the upper end ofsaid slot and the upper end of the pocket formed thereby, the upper end of said arm thereby constituting the point of suspension for the drapery, said hook including means forengaging the same with a support from which the drapery is to be suspended, said means being normally in yielding contact with said. arm between the ends of thelatter to cause a portion of said tape to be clamped between said arm and said means.

CHARLES W. KIRSCH. 

